After successful auditions, six St Columba’s singers will represent the School in this year's National Youth Choir of Scotland.
Stephanie Bell (SVI) will participate in the NYCOS Main Choir, for singers aged 16-25 years old.
Sarah Sandground (SV) and Emily Phillips (SV) will take part in the NYCOS training choir for singers aged 16-25.
Cara Ewing Mackie (SIII) will take part in the National Youth Girls’ Choir of Scotland (12-16 years old) with Sophie Phillips (SII) and Emily Barron (SI) participating in the Girls’ Training Choir.
Congratulations to Emily Barron (SI) who is the first pupil from St Columba’s School to successfully audition for the prestigious National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain.
The National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain (NCO) inspires children and young people who are 7-14 years old to achieve their full potential through learning, performing and creating orchestral music.
Every autumn, NCO auditions over a thousand 7-14 year olds and identifies 600 young musicians to form 11 orchestras: five age-banded national symphony orchestras and six symphonic mixed-age regional orchestras. Many children progress through all our national orchestras gaining up to seven years of learning opportunities as part of NCO.
Many former members are in leading professional orchestras across the UK and further afield. NCO alumni includes winners of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition, Guy Johnston (2000), Nicola Benedetti MBE (2004) and Martin James Bartlett (2014), as well as acclaimed conductors Robin Ticciati, Daniel Harding and Jonathan Bloxham.
The School is represented in the NYOS Senior Orchestra, which brings together the best young musicians in Scotland, with SVI pupils Rory MacLean and Hannah Findlater invited to take part this year. In addition, Rory and Hannah have both successfully auditioned for West of Scotland Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band.
We are also excited and very proud to share the news that Hannah has been offered places at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to study clarinet, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to study saxophone and Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London to study clarinet. Hannah is delighted to have so many options to choose from and will make her decision in due course.
The NYOS Junior Orchestra is for pupils aged 8 and over. Isla Macpherson (SV- clarinet) and SI pupils Sasha Charter, Emily Barron (both clarinet) and Callum Hendry (bassoon) will represent the School this year.
West of Scotland Schools’ Concert Band and Orchestra
Emily Phillips (SV- flute) Isla Macpherson (SV- clarinet) and Callum Hendry (SI- bassoon) have successfully auditioned for West of Scotland Schools’ Concert Band together with Rory and Hannah.
Emily will participate in a Senior Summer Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and together with Isla, both girls will attend ‘Take Over Conducting’ with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
